Chapter 84: Investigating a Murder Case
Meat's allure was truly immense these days. Even Jiang Nan and Zhou Zhixing, who often enjoyed a bite at the system, were delighted to hear that there would be all-you-can-eat meals. It was already dark, and Jiang Nan didn't take the peach cakes and glutinous rice noodles home with him. He simply put them in his desk drawer, ready to snack on whenever he felt hungry.
After agreeing on the time and place to gather tomorrow, everyone left the police station one after another.
Jiang Nan and Zhou Zhixing rode their bikes, ready to head home for a quick rest. They had a busy schedule tomorrow. However, plans couldn't keep up with the changes. The system, which hadn't issued any tasks in a while, suddenly started buzzing.
[Host, the main system has issued an important mission. The original heroine, Tang Xi, is currently being targeted in the black market. Please rush to the black market to rescue her. The system will reward you with 5,000 Chigua coins.]
Jiang Nan raised his eyebrows. This was probably the most generous mission so far. The heroine was worthy of being the heroine.
She asked herself, "Will the heroine still be in danger? Won't she be saved in the end?"
[Host, due to the butterfly effect, one of the female supporting characters who was originally supposed to save the heroine is no longer allowed to go out at night due to a murder at the oil field, so the system has issued you a mission.]
Jiang Nan understood: "There's no such murder case in the original text?"
The original text doesn't mention this. It's likely that Meng Zhengang didn't pass the exam to become a petroleum worker. After reporting the case to the commune police station, the Meng family accepted Meng Zhenfang's story of elopement and didn't file a subsequent report. Furthermore, at this point, there's no mention of a body being found in the reservoir.
Jiang Nan looked at Zhou Zhixing, both of them somewhat surprised. Does this mean that after all they've done, the subsequent plot is no longer affected by the original text? That explosion is very likely not going to happen?
Jiang Nan hurriedly looked at the probability applet. It was still 50%, but she felt that this number was much cuter, and the number seemed to be lighter than before?
"Let's go." Zhou Zhixing turned and said to Jiang Nan, "Save the people first. Five thousand melon coins are enough to buy a lot of good things."
Jiang Nan nodded and rode towards the black market as well.
At this time, in the black market, Tang Xi disguised herself as an old woman and hid in a corner selling pillowcases.
Tang Xi already had a space before she crossed over. To fill it, she worked tirelessly to earn money, finally gathering a million in supplies just before her journey. The supplies included everything from food and clothing to daily necessities, and it was precisely because of this that she could live so comfortably in this era. A few days ago, Ren Pinglan and her father were wrongfully accused of poisoning the brigade's cattle. Although the truth was later uncovered and the two were cleared of all charges, as cattle herders, they were jointly responsible for the cattle's death and were punished by being forced to clean the brigade's public toilets for ten days.
Ren's father had been in poor health to begin with, and his cough had worsened over the past few days, requiring money for medicine. Tang Xi, despite having plenty of supplies, had little money, so she decided to sell her pillowcases on the black market to get some money for Ren's father's medicine. According to historical records, Ren's father would be rehabilitated in a few years, and his return to Shanghai would be a significant boost to her future career. Tang Xi would not sit idly by. Furthermore, he was Ren Pinglan's father, so Tang Xi would not stand idly by.
Tang Xi's pillowcases all feature vintage patterns, like Double Happiness, Large Peony, and Mandarin Ducks Playing in the Water. The colors are primarily red, pink, and blue. She'd originally bought these on Taobao, hoping they'd be useful in the future, thanks to her fascination with period literature.
Unsurprisingly, the pillowcases were incredibly popular, selling ten pairs within an hour of being on display. After estimating the time, Tang Xi decisively decided to leave. She already had enough money to buy medicine, so she didn't plan on saving too much at this point. These days, supplies are still the most important thing.
But as soon as she started to move, someone followed her.
Tang Xi didn't know that she had already become a celebrity in the black market.
The flour she had previously sold was so high-quality that it attracted the attention of the police, forcing the black market boss to take notice. These days, anyone who could manage a black market naturally had deep connections. Although Tang Xi had been cautious and hadn't sold such high-quality goods since then, she still came frequently. Even with a disguise, her height, build, and movements wouldn't have changed much in such a short period of time. If she had been intentional, it would have been revealed sooner or later.
How could those who trade on the black market be vegetarians?! Each one of them had sharp eyes. If they even had such a fine pillowcase, who knows what else they might have, right? So, as soon as Tang Xi stood up, someone followed.
Tang Xi leaned on her bicycle and turned out of the black market. She hadn't walked twenty meters when she was surrounded by four burly men. In the darkness, she couldn't make out their faces, but just by looking at their muscular bodies, she knew they were not to be trifled with.
Tang Xi gripped the handlebars tightly and turned in a different direction, only to find that the large men also turned around and continued to stand in front of her. Two of them even moved behind her, blocking her path. After two or three such incidents, Tang Xi was finally certain that these men were coming for her.
She tried to calm down and plotted how to get out, but she said sternly, "Get out of the way, if you know what's good for you, I'm a regular here at the black market, and I won't be scared by you. This place is so close to the black market, aren't you afraid that Brother Bin will cause trouble for you?"
The leading burly man sneered, "Stop using Brother Bin to scare people! We've already left the black market, Brother Bin won't interfere."
Brother Bin was the organizer of the local black market. No one knew his real name, just Brother Bin. Tang Xi was a frequent visitor to the black market, so of course she knew Brother Bin's name. Seeing that the big banner didn't scare people away, she gritted her teeth and thought, "If you don't spend money, you'll avoid disaster." There were plenty of supplies in the space, and the most important thing was to save your life. After figuring this out, she forced out a voice, "What do you want to do? Even if we're out of the black market, if someone dies, Brother Bin won't ignore it."
The big man sneered: "There's no need to test us like this. We certainly won't be stupid enough to cause a loss of life. But if you don't know what's good for you and cause something else, we can still help you." As he spoke, the three people next to the big man laughed obscenely.
Tang Xi's teeth itched with hatred, but she didn't know any kung fu. Although she had high-tech weapons like stun guns, she didn't have the confidence to take on four people at once. Tang Xi took a deep breath, trying to sound calm and not panic. She said, "Just tell me what you want. I'll do my best to do what I can, but there's nothing I can do about it."
The big man finally smiled sincerely. "You're smart. My friends, you sold some good pillowcases today. Do you have any bedsheets or quilt covers in stock? We don't want much. Give us two or three hundred sets, and we'll let you go today."
Tang Xi was so angry she almost laughed. She had sheets and quilt covers, of course, but many of the fabrics and patterns were not suitable for this era, so she never took them out. She only had two hundred sets of sheets suitable for this era, at most. If she gave them all to them, would she still need them in the future?
Seeing Tang Xi remained silent, the large man's voice suddenly turned cold. "What? You're not saying you're out of stock, are you? Tsk tsk, don't give me that crap! Go ask around. I'm a regular at the black market, too, and I've observed you more than once or twice. Do you think you're easy to fool? Every time you come, it's either fresh goods like meat, eggs, milk, or sugar, or sheets, quilt covers, and pillowcases. How come you have the goods for your own money, but not for us?! Be smart, don't refuse a toast and then drink a forfeit!"
As he spoke, the big man clenched his fists, and his knuckles made a crackling sound, which was particularly harsh in the dark night.
Tang Xi wasn't one to be threatened, so the big man's words really stirred her blood. Others might have come here suddenly, but Tang Xi had come fully prepared. If she couldn't handle it, then she would have wasted the space God had bestowed upon her!
Tang Xi was furious. She used her consciousness to find the latest model of electric baton in her space, calculating her chances of escaping in a short period of time. She remained impassive, her voice trembling, "Bedsheets and pillowcases are rare goods everywhere. You're asking for two or three hundred sets at once. No one would agree to that."
The tall man next to the big man raised his arm and said viciously, "What? You look down on us, don't you? Brother Long, this woman is ignorant. Let me teach her a lesson."
The man called Brother Long remained silent. The tall man took two steps forward and grabbed Tang Xi's arm as she tried to retreat. However, the expected woman's screams didn't emanate. Instead, the tall man began shaking non-stop as if he were having a seizure. The other two younger brothers, though puzzled, didn't think much of it, simply assuming Tang Xi had some kung fu skills and was tricking them. So, without further ado, they shouted and charged forward, only to be knocked down by Jiang Nan and Zhou Zhixing, who had suddenly arrived.
The two had arrived just as Brother Long surrounded Tang Xi, but they had to disguise themselves, which was why they didn't rush to show up. Seeing a large group bullying a small group, Zhou Zhixing couldn't stand it any longer. He didn't even bother to put on a mask, not even a beard, and charged forward. Jiang Nan was no better, not even wearing a wig. However, they both changed their clothes and wore masks to ensure Tang Xi wouldn't recognize them.
Both of them had practiced martial arts before, and Zhou Zhixing had even known kung fu for two lifetimes. After just three or two rounds, Brother Long was knocked down before he even understood what was going on.
Jiang Nan finally breathed a sigh of relief after everyone was knocked down. She imitated the bullies on TV and stomped on Brother Long's chest. Just as she was about to speak, she was interrupted by Brother Long on the ground, cursing. Jiang Nan stomped on him twice more, and he finally stopped.
Jiang Nan cleared his throat again and used his voice changer to imitate a man's voice. He said to Tang Xi, "Don't come to the black market. This is not a place for women."
Tang Xi was already used to the tone of voice of men in this era, so she didn't get angry. Instead, she panted and said, "Thank you. I will be more careful next time."
She thought for a moment, then pulled out two four-piece sets from her space and handed them over, saying, "These people came here just for these things. You saved me, and I don't have much to offer. Please accept these small gifts."
Jiang Nan and Zhou Zhixing weren't the type to do good things without asking for anything in return, so they accepted the money without any pressure. Jiang Nan said, "You can go now. Leave these four people to us. We'll take care of them."
Both of them were dressed as men, so it would be easier for them to deal with the criminals than for Tang Xi, a woman. Tang Xi didn't think much about it, nodded, and rode away swiftly.
Seeing that the person had gone far away, Jiang Nan went to look at the four-piece suit and said with surprise, "It's pure cotton. The material feels really good."
Zhou Zhixing shuddered. Did Jiang Nan forget that her voice was still a man's? He coughed lightly and whispered, "Okay, let's deal with these four people first."
Jiang Nan nodded and prepared to hand the things to Zhou Zhixing and search the four people. But Zhou Zhixing took the initiative and quickly pulled off the four people's belts. He then tied their hands tightly behind their backs with belts and began to feel around.
The leader, known as Brother Long, struggled relentlessly. His baggy pants had fallen to his knees, his underwear so ripped that his buttocks were exposed. The wind blew against his bare bottom, making him shiver. Feeling Zhou Zhixing touching his chest, Brother Long cried out in tears, "A gentleman can be killed but not humiliated! What are you doing? Ahhhh, let me go! I...I'm not interested in men! Don't touch me! Ahhhh!"
He screamed, "Ahhh, what are you doing? Why am I so unlucky? Oh my God, why did I meet someone like this? Go touch Da Nengzi. Yes, Da Nengzi is whiter than me. Don't touch me."
Jiang Nan tried to suppress his laughter, his shoulders shaking. Zhou Zhixing rolled his eyes and growled, "Shut up!"
Brother Long shut his mouth in frustration, but he kept sobbing, looking completely different from the ferocious man he had just been.
Among the other three, a man of medium build turned over and tried to hide after hearing what Brother Long said, still howling: "Brother Long, how could you do this? I, Da Nengzi, am loyal to you. Wuwuwu, please spare my life, I am not white, I am black, really, please spare my life. We only want to rob money, not do anything else. Don't rape me, I haven't married yet. Wuwuwu, Brother Long has money in his pants, go find him."
Upon hearing this, Brother Long curled up his legs. Zhou Zhixing picked up a stick on the ground and hit him twice, then he let him lie down and allow himself to be searched.
Zhou Zhixing suppressed his nausea and searched through the four people for a while. He found twenty yuan and less than ten bills, handed them to Jiang Nan, and turned to the four people with disdain, "With such a small fortune, you still dare to rob people on the road? Isn't that shameful?"
He hit the four men with sticks again, looked back at Jiang Nan, and thought about what to do next.
It's a bit difficult to do it in front of my future daughter-in-law.
Jiang Nan raised an eyebrow: "What are you looking at? I've seen everything. Stop being so timid and do whatever you want."
Zhou Zhixing shrugged. Never mind. He and Jiang Nan weren't innocent boys or girls, so there was no need to worry too much. They were both dressed like men now, and worrying too much might reveal their identities. He bent down and pulled the pants off the four robbers, leaving only their underwear barely covering their private parts. He then used the pants to tie the four men together head to tail, then whipped them twice and shouted, "Get up and follow us."
The four of them sobbed and followed the two reluctantly.
Before showing up, Jiang Nan put the bicycle into the space. Now the two of them escorted four black market robbers, one in front and one behind, and took them to the police station closest to the black market and tied them to the tree trunk in front of the gate.
To be on the safe side, Zhou Zhixing wrote the three big words "robber" on the ground and quietly threw pebbles into the police station. When he saw the light in the duty room was on, he quietly left.
It’s not that they don’t want to escort the person back to their police station, but the black market is some distance away from their police station. It was almost nine o’clock when the two of them rode here, and it might take a long time to walk back. It would be better to send them here, as they still have to hurry back.
Anyway, they are all oil field police stations, which are pretty much the same. Besides, there are robbers to divert everyone's attention, so there shouldn't be so many people staring at the murderer, right?
The two of them walked to a deserted place. Jiang Nan tripped over a rock, but Zhou Zhixing quickly caught her. Jiang Nan immediately looked at Zhou Zhixing, but before she could say anything, Zhou Zhixing responded, "Okay, okay, stay away from Tang Xi from now on. If you meet her, you'll be in trouble, right?"
Jiang Nan snorted, "That's right."
She stopped, making sure no one was around, then carefully retrieved her bicycle from her space and pedaled hard, barely reaching home before ten o'clock. If she didn't return soon, Jiang Mancheng and Chen Jinhua would go to the police station to arrest someone. No matter how important the case, she needed to rest. Her health was the capital of revolution. If she collapsed, who would catch the murderer?
Such a simple wish, however, was never fulfilled. The next day, the two groups switched locations: Zhou Zhixing led his team to the Donghean Brigade, while Shao Yong visited the area near Zheng Guohua's home, hoping for new discoveries. However, reality proved that hope is meant to be dashed.
Seeing that another case was about to become an unsolved case, Jiang Nan couldn't help but wonder if her status as the chosen one was no longer valid. Why did it seem like she was suddenly not favored by God?
The police station has also been under unprecedented pressure. The previous human trafficking case has not been solved, and now there is a murder case. Even clerks like He Lin have felt the pressure at work these two days.
But it seemed as if God was not satisfied. Early in the morning of that day, another fisherman reported that a female corpse was found in the reservoir!
Lan Qingshan led the team to the scene. Fortunately, the body was found early and the face was recognizable. But Jiang Nan couldn't believe it. This woman was actually Dong Jiaojiao!
The other members of the team had obviously recognized her, too. Ever since arriving at the 10th Operations Office, Dong Jiaojiao had been quite high-profile, a sight to be found in several of the family compound's areas. She always appeared in new, flamboyant clothes. Invariably, she was accompanied by a man, sometimes more than one, chatting and laughing, their behavior intensely intimate.
Lan Qingshan, with a serious expression, instructed Wang Zili and Wang Gengsheng to notify Dong's mother. He also signaled Xie Yongping to hurry up and investigate the cause of death. Given Dong's mother's personality, she would most likely not consent to an autopsy. Xie Yongping needed to know as much as possible about the cause of death, time of death, and other information before Dong's mother arrived.
Xie Yongping quickened his pace. After a long pause, his signature robotic voice echoed through the scene: "The time of death was between 9 and 12 last night. The cause of death was drowning. The vagina was torn, and there was no vagina. This is very similar to the circumstances of Meng Zhenfang's death."
Upon hearing this, everyone's faces turned grim. Was it the same person who did this? If so, did that mean a serial killer had appeared in the office? This was far more dangerous than a crime committed in the heat of the moment.
Imagine someone hiding in your life, meticulously searching for a target to violently murder. And you're completely unaware, preoccupied with figuring out what to eat tonight and what to wear tomorrow. How terrifying is that? If even a little bit of this information leaked, it would only cause panic, at best. I'm afraid everyone would be left feeling uneasy.
The top priority is to catch the murderer as soon as possible before panic sets in.
However, although Dong's mother cried bitterly and begged the police to find the murderer as soon as possible, otherwise she would go to the oil field headquarters to complain. But when she heard that an autopsy was needed, she immediately shook her head and firmly refused: "No, Jiaojiao loves beauty so much, you can't do an autopsy! You can't dissect Jiaojiao. I want to dress Jiaojiao in the most beautiful clothes. My Jiaojiao, why did you die, my Jiaojiao?"
Although Dong's mother had her own thoughts, how could she not be sad about her daughter's death?
When her daughter was alive, her reputation was not good. If she didn't teach her daughter to get benefits from men, how would Jiaojiao live when she got old? Jiaojiao was not the only child in the family, so she had to take care of her son more.
Now that her daughter is dead, Dong's mother sobbed and thought of the good things her daughter had done when she was alive.
Jiang Nan wanted to say that family consent wasn't required for an autopsy in a criminal case, but Zhou Zhixing shook his head slightly. Dong Jiaojiao had drowned, so suicide or homicide were all possible. In that era, the legal text was still unclear, and many of the laws she vaguely knew about were from later generations, and those regulations didn't exist today.
Aside, Dong's mother was crying bitterly. She glanced up and saw Zhou Zhixing holding Jiang Nan's hand. He suddenly broke free from his daughter-in-law's support, rushed forward, and raised his arm towards Jiang Nan. Zhou Zhixing was quick-witted and grabbed Dong's mother's arm. Dong's mother cried out in pain and accused, "The police are beating people! Everyone, come and see, the police are beating people."
Seeing no one paying attention to her, Dong's mother started to throw a tantrum again. She broke free from Zhou Zhixing's hand and sat on the ground crying, "It's all your fault! You didn't catch the murderer, so our Jiaojiao was killed. It's all your fault! And you!"
She pointed at Zhou Zhixing and said viciously, "Jiaojiao asked you to meet her in the evening, why didn't you go? If you hadn't shown up, how could our Jiaojiao have married that loser Yuan Jianshe? If she hadn't married a loser, Jiaojiao wouldn't have been bewitched by someone and would have gone out so late at night. It's all your fault. You two are the ones who killed Jiaojiao. You are the culprits!"
Yuan Jianshe stood expressionless not far away. He never once glanced at the corpse, as if none of this had anything to do with him. Seeing this, Dong's mother flew into a rage. She leaped up, took a few steps forward, and slapped him twice, shouting at the top of her lungs, "Are you even human? Jiaojiao is your wife, and this is how you react after she's dead? You heartless bastard! Okay, is it you? Is it you who killed Jiaojiao?!"
Yuan Jianshe covered his face and looked at Dong's mother in disbelief: "You hit me?"
Yuan Jianshe's grandmother, Mrs. Wang, rushed forward like a madman, pushed Dong's mother away, and screamed, "How dare you hit my grandson? You shameless man, you blackmailed my Jianshe into marrying that bitch Dong Jiaojiao. Now that he's dead, what else do you want to blackmail me for? You want to say that my Jianshe is the murderer?!"
Wang uttered a loud "Puh!" and shouted, "My Jianshe is a clean young man and doesn't deserve this stigma! There are so many police officers here, and you're accusing my Jianshe of murder with nothing to show for it. It's impossible. Look, you're yelling so fiercely, and the police are paying any attention? You're a bitch, and the daughter you raised is also a bitch!"
Dong's mother was pushed to the ground. She was heartbroken for a moment, kicking her legs and crying, "Oh my God, what kind of family are these? Jiaojiao, Jiaojiao, why are you so miserable, marrying such a loser! You died unjustly, died unjustly."
Wang spitted again, jumping up and down and cursing, "What injustice? I don't think it's unfair at all. Has your Jiaojiao ever served my Jianshe even for a single day since she married in? She goes out every day, either flirting with this one or that one, as if we don't know anything! Bah, she's just a bitch, she deserves to die! My Jianshe is the one with a miserable life, having been cuckolded so many times. Jianshe, why is your life so miserable?"
Yuan Jianshe was initially pleased that his grandmother had stepped in and that he didn't have to be the bad guy anymore, but when his grandmother brought up this point, his face turned pale. He looked at his grandmother, who was crying and wailing like a loser, with disgust and said in a low voice, "Grandma, stop talking. Jiaojiao is dead, what's the point in saying this?"
Dong's mother glared at Wang and Yuan Jianshe, spat at them, and said angrily, "Stop pretending to be nice. Do you think I don't know what kind of person you are? You're having an affair with a widow. What a shame!"
Yuan Jianshe's eyelids twitched, and he unconsciously looked at Sun Qiaolian in the crowd.
Sun Qiaolian looked at him tenderly, silently comforted Yuan Jianshe, and then lowered her head shyly.
Yuan Jianshe felt a little relieved. He would not admit it unless Dong's mother had any evidence.
The police were all confused as they watched. Yuan Jianshe and Sun Qiaolian thought they were being so secretive! It was in public, in broad daylight, so obvious, who wouldn't have seen it? His wife had just died, and he was already flirting with another woman. Yuan Jianshe was a serious suspect.
Lan Qingshan mentally made a note of Yuan Jianshe, stood up, and waved his hand, having several police officers separate the three arguing people. He then pulled Jiang Nan and Zhou Zhixing, who were on the verge of a confrontation, aside and instructed them, "Go to Courtyard No. 1 and ask the neighbors if anyone knows where Dong Jiaojiao has been lately. Go ahead, and leave this to me and Shao Yong."
The two of them didn't want to argue with Dong's mother at this time, so they left with the other six groups after hearing what she said.
On the way, Zhou Zhixing whispered to Jiang Nan, "Look at Fang Nanshan. He's having an affair with Dong Jiaojiao. I wonder if that has anything to do with this."
Jiang Nan nodded, and Zhou Zhixing continued to murmur, "But it shouldn't matter much. Fang Nanshan probably doesn't dare to kill anyone yet."
Jiang Nan whispered, "It's not Fang Nanshan. He's been on duty at the well these days and doesn't have time to commit the crime."
The two nodded, quickly reunited with the others, and walked towards Courtyard No. 1.
Courtyard No. 1 was unusually quiet at this time. A few elderly men and women with mobility issues sat on the stone bench downstairs, chatting idly, their minds clearly not focused on the conversation.
Someone was murdered in Courtyard No. 1! Although the old man and his wife had lived through the war years, the country had been established for nearly twenty years, and it was strange that they were suddenly faced with such a situation. Normally, no one liked Dong Jiaojiao, but no one wanted her to die like this. How could such a good girl die?
The old men and women were distracted. When they saw Jiang Nan, Zhou Zhixing and six others wearing police uniforms appear in Yard No. 1, they stood up and surrounded them as if they had found their organization.
Old Lady Liu asked first, "Xiao Nan, is Dong Jiaojiao really dead? Was she murdered? Is she the same murderer as before?"
"That's right, Xiaonan, tell me quickly, what happened? Why did he die suddenly?"
Jiang Nan didn't reveal the details of the case, but simply said, "We can't confirm anything yet. We're here to inquire about everyone's situation. Grandma Liu, do you know who Dong Jiaojiao has been close to recently? Will she be home tonight?"
Before Old Lady Liu could say anything, an older woman from the building behind her interrupted, "I know. Dong Jiaojiao seems to be constantly going to the East Bank these past few days. When Meng Zhenfang died a few days ago, she was too scared to go out. But she's gotten bolder these past two days and didn't come back last night!"
It was East River Bank again. Jiang Nan's intuition told her that the murderer was related to the East River Bank Brigade. But she had visited East River Bank two days ago and didn't see the murderer. Could it be that the murderer was not there that day?
She remained calm and continued to ask for details: "Auntie Miao, do you know why Dong Jiaojiao ran to the east bank of the river?"
Aunt Miao curled her lips: "Why else?"
She sighed, "I'm not the one who's still saying bad things about her. Dong Jiaojiao is such a shameless girl! She's already married, but she's still flirting with other men. You don't know, I live next door to the Dongs, and I see men approaching her every day. Some of them look familiar to me, and when I asked around, I found out they're all married. Isn't that right? Maybe she was murdered this time as revenge by her wife."
Jiang Nan didn't comment and turned the topic to the East River Bank team: "Is there anyone from the East River Bank looking for Dong Jiaojiao?"
Aunt Miao shook her head: "I don't know. I don't know anyone on the East River Bank."
An older woman nearby chimed in, "Yes, my sister-in-law's family lives on the East Bank of the River. She once said he looked like someone from her village. I didn't ask who he was."
Jiang Nan asked about the situation of his aunt's sister-in-law and wanted to go ask someone directly, but was stopped by Old Lady Liu and Old Lady Sui.
Old Lady Liu turned her head and said directly, "Xiao Wei, don't just stand there. Go find your sister-in-law."
After giving the order, she said to Jiang Nan, "Xiao Nan, just wait here. Xiao Wei's wife will be here soon. Let's talk here. We old guys know a lot."
The auntie called Xiao Wei wasn't angry either. She sighed and ran out with a swift pace, not at all lazy and languid like her usual self. Jiang Nan twitched his lips. These old men and women were really working hard to get the news as soon as possible.
Jiang Nan then asked the others, "Does anyone know if Dong Jiaojiao was at home last night?"
"I know. My family lives on the same floor as Dong Jiaojiao's. She wasn't home all day yesterday and didn't come back at night. Dong's mother even sent her son out to look for her. But after 8 or 9 o'clock, they still couldn't find her, so everyone went to bed."
Jiang Nan: "Does Dong Jiaojiao often not come home at night?"
The neighbor thought about it and said truthfully, "Not very often. It happens once or twice every two weeks. His family knows about it, so if they can't find him, they just go to bed."
Others who knew about the situation began to speak up one after another. Soon, Aunt Wei arrived with a short, plump woman in her forties. They trotted along, panting even when they stopped.
Jiang Nan and the others rested before speaking, "Hello, I believe Aunt Wei has already explained the situation to you. Do you know the people from the East River Bank who are looking for Dong Jiaojiao?"
The woman nodded, her eyes glistening with curiosity. Instead of answering, she asked, "Is Dong Jiaojiao really dead?"
Seeing Jiang Nan nod, she spit and cursed, "Serves you right!"
Seeing the others' bad faces, she explained, "You have no idea how despicable Dong Jiaojiao is. My son is already married, but she still seduced him, deliberately talked to him, and even asked him to buy her malted milk. Tell me, why would she buy her something as precious as malted milk when they weren't even related? It's a good thing she's dead, otherwise my family's money would have gone to outsiders."
That being said, if your son had no evil intentions, no matter how much Dong Jiaojiao tempted him, he wouldn't have taken the bait, right? Besides, in your eyes, a human life is worth less than a bottle of malted milk. Jiang Nan felt a little uncomfortable. Dong Jiaojiao wasn't a 'perfect victim,' but she didn't deserve to be treated this way.
But apparently, few people thought so. The short, plump woman's words seemed to have opened the conversation, and everyone started to denounce Dong Jiaojiao.
"How can a woman be like this? She's married, but she doesn't do any work. She dresses up all day and goes out to fool around. She doesn't cook, doesn't wash clothes, and doesn't serve men. How can a wife behave like this? Dong Jiaojiao was killed. It was all her own fault. Look at how many men she seduced. Isn't this Qing waiting to be killed?"
"That's right. She's not decent at all. She always paints her face to look like a ghost and never comes home. Yuan Jianshe is so unlucky to marry such a wife. It's a blessing that she's dead now. Yuan Jianshe can marry an honest woman and live a peaceful life with her. That's the right thing to do."
"Maybe she did something bad to attract a murderer. Think about it, with her character, which decent man would care about her? She didn't come home at night, she must have met a man and left with him! Maybe she even asked him for money, but she didn't expect that man to be a murderer. She lost her life in vain."
......
Jiang Nan listened to everyone's discussion, and the anger in her heart began to boil over. She shouted, "Quiet!"
She said sternly, "No matter how bad Dong Jiaojiao is, her crime doesn't deserve the death penalty. Let's put it this way. Besides, murderers won't reason with you! Do they kill people and then ask who's good and who's bad? Do you think murderers are enforcing justice?"
Although the old men and women quieted down, the expressions on their faces clearly showed disapproval.
Jiang Nan didn't want to argue with these people anymore; she wasn't angry enough. She turned to the new woman and said sternly, "Auntie, let me ask you again. Do you know the man from Donghe'an who's looking for Dong Jiaojiao? Just answer truthfully, no need to say anything extraneous."
The aunt curled her lips and said, "I know him. He's Shi Qing, the second son of the Shi family. He just passed the exam and got a job as a worker in the oil field. I don't know where he met Dong Jiaojiao. I saw him looking for someone in the community a few days ago."
Jiang Nan quickly took notes and asked, "Do you know where he works now?"
"West Bank Drilling Team."
Jiang Nan closed her notebook, signaling Zhou Zhixing and the others that she had finished her questions and that they could ask any other questions. Zou Li, Wen Qiang, and the others thought for a moment and added a few more questions.
Zou Li: "Excuse me, among the men you mentioned Dong Jiaojiao dating, how many are married? Do you know who they are? What do they do for a living?"
......
Aside, Jiang Nan began to reflect on Shi Qing. She remembered meeting the Shi family during her investigation trip to the East Riverbank. Shi Qing was the youngest in the family, with an older brother and sister. He had been spoiled from childhood and was rather headstrong. He was a bit clever. After graduating from junior high school, he'd been hanging around the village and surrounding brigades, like a street urchin. He was now twenty-three or twenty-four and still unmarried.
Jiang Nan hadn't been paying attention to Shi Qing's channel the previous time, focusing solely on his movements around the time of Meng Zhenfang's murder. Now, looking more closely, it seemed he was indeed close to Dong Jiaojiao. Shi Qing had met and gotten to know Dong Jiaojiao when he came to the office building last month to apply for equipment. However, he wasn't the murderer. Yesterday, after he and Dong Jiaojiao were done, he had his sister Shi Hong take her home while he slept soundly at home.
Wait, she hasn’t met Shi Qing’s sister Shi Hong yet!
Jiang Nan became excited. Zhou Zhixing, looking at Zou Li and the others, shook his head, indicating he had nothing more to ask. Zou Li and the others also closed their notebooks. The six of them decided to go to the East River Bank Brigade. The Shi family was a clue, and they had to look at it again to be confident.
On the way, Zhou Zhixing let the others go first, slowed down, and asked, "What's wrong? Are you feeling sorry for Dong Jiaojiao?"
Jiang Nan shook his head. "A little bit. I just think people shouldn't think that way. Isn't this just victim blaming? Doesn't Dong Jiaojiao deserve to die just because she was open-minded during her lifetime? Judging by the facts, in this case, the murderer is guilty, not Dong Jiaojiao."
Zhou Zhixing smiled. "We're all ordinary people, and ordinary people tend to admire the strong. In everyone's subconscious, the murderer is the strong man. People subconsciously try to excuse the murderer, as if by doing so, they can feel at ease and believe that they are safe. This is actually a form of escapism, so don't take it too seriously."
Jiang Nan: "I know, you know a lot, you even know Mu Qiang's psychology."
Zhou Shishi boasted, pointing to his head: "I really focus on studying."
Jiang Nan declined to comment, instead saying, "This kind of thing is very common in later generations. I don't have much of a solution. I can only talk about it once I see it. I don't know how to do it either."
Zhou Zhixing raised an eyebrow, and Jiang Nan said indifferently: "Anyway, you can hear the conversation between me and the system, so you must know where I came from. Why would I hide it from you?"
Zhou Zhixing smiled: "You are quite straightforward."
Jiang Nan chuckled and whispered, "Aren't we all going to get married together? What's there to hide?"
Zhou Zhixing laughed heartily. "Okay, you can write, right? You wrote a pretty good anti-trafficking speech before. Now, write an article criticizing this 'victim blaming theory'. It doesn't matter if it works or not, as long as you've done your best."
Jiang Nan nodded; that was all she could do. As they chatted, Zhou Zhixing asked for the first time about the afterlife. Hearing about televisions, computers, cell phones, and other things he had never heard of before, he sighed, "Then I must live well. I'll try to live to be a hundred, no, a hundred and twenty, to see what the afterlife is like."
"You're such a boaster! You're a hundred and twenty years old! Why don't you live to be a hundred first?"
Zhou Zhixing: "I'm very precious. Our system has so many melon coins. What do you think? Do we have any tonics or something? Let's eat more. It won't be difficult to live a hundred years."
[Host, in your programmer father's time, the average lifespan of intelligent creatures had already reached 300 years. It would be easy for you to live to 100.]
Zhou Zhixing laughed heartily, leaning down and pedaling his bike twice. Jiang Nan was also delighted. Who wouldn't want to live a hundred years? As long as the system was still there, she could live to be a hundred peacefully. Hahaha, she could just say she was destined to be a girl.
System: I didn’t, I didn’t say, I didn’t make any promises.
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